Tokyo University's Susumu Tachi regards world through robot eyes

Citation

(2001), "Tokyo University's Susumu Tachi regards world through robot eyes", Industrial Robot, Vol. 28 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2001.04928eab.004

Tokyo University's Susumu Tachi regards world through robot eyes

Tokyo University's Susumu Tachi regards world through robot eyes

Keywords: Robots, Robotics, Telexistence

Tokyo University Professor Susumu Tachi, a leading robotics scientist, explains his much-discussed concept of "tele-existence" which would allow a person to control a robot remotely and feel "as if he or she is inside the robot, able to make one feel a robot's handshake as it traces one's human movements, acting as a surrogate, thus creating a kind of virtual existence".

He is undertaking development of a tele-existence cockpit to control a humanoid robot as part of the ongoing governmental Humanoid Robotics Project.

Tachi regards robots as tools to expand abilities, stressing that "if you can share visual, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic senses via robots as if inside it, you could do incredible things: get into tiny places like human body vessels, or thinking yourself strong enough to rescue people trapped in a disaster, it would not be very different from you yourself doing these things".

The first prototype system was developed in March 2000. It could walk, not run, with its two legs, and also could move its head, arms and hands. "The cockpit operator will feel it when the robot touches or holds something, though not its textures; will see and hear what the robot sees and hears and since cockpit will also function as an Internet service, one may control the robot via the Internet, at least partially."

"The system will go to companies and scientists as a platform for further research and to explore various applications."

Tachi argues for a faster information network – an optical fibre network – and insists this is a must. Right now, cockpit and robot are connected exclusively to each other but robot should be accessible for everybody, from anywhere. The Internet does not give enough of the sensation of existing in a different place.

"Artificial intelligence," the scientist continued, "is also essential to assure safety in a world where tele-existence robots work among people. Robots must be intelligent enough to control their human behaviour to avoid endangering people. A robot must disobey its operator, for example, to avoid hitting a child. Up to now, although much research on artificial intelligence has been done, little has been done in pursuing that human element."

Professor Tachi sees the need for a licensing system for "particular types of robot operation – like rescuing people from being trapped under rubble, or like caring for elderly or infirm people".

He maintains that a tele-existence robot as was developed in the late 1980s "demonstrated the potential of tele-existence".

"That robot managed some tasks, including stacking boxes and opening valves and with operator at the master control system, seeing the same images as the robot sees, and moving his hand and arm as if he were doing the tasks. There was thus then shown the potential of tele-existence. We are on our way, but only a start has been made."